402. The Fires of Pompeii

About

Synopsis

The Doctor and Donna travel back into ancient history. When they arrive in 79AD, however, they discover psychic powers and beasts of stone running riot in the streets of old Pompeii. The time-travellers face their greatest challenge yet – can established history be changed, or must the Doctor let everyone die?

Quotes

Stallholder: "Afternoon, sweetheart. What can I get you, my love?"
Donna: "Veni, vidi, vici."
Stallholder: "Huh? Sorry?Me no speak Celtic. No can do, missy."
Donna: "Yeah. What does he mean, ‘Celtic’?"
The Doctor: "Welsh. You sound Welsh. There we are, learned something."

Lucius: "Is that so, man from Gallifrey?"
The Doctor: "What?"
Lucius: "Strangest of images. Your home is lost in fire is it not?"
Donna: "Doctor what are they doing?"
Lucius: "And you, daughter of… London…"
Donna: "How does he know that?"
Lucius: "This is the gift of Pompeii. Every single Oracle tells the truth."
Donna: "That’s impossible."
Lucius: "Doctor, she is returning."
The Doctor: "Who is? Who’s she?"
Lucius: "And you, daughter of London, there is something on your back."

Donna: "But that’s what you do. You’re the Doctor. You save people."
The Doctor: "Not this time. Pompeii is a fixed point in history. What happens happens. There is no stopping it."
Donna: "Says who?"
The Doctor: "Says me."
Donna: "What? And you’re in charge?"
The Doctor: "TARDIS. Time Lord. Yes."
Donna: "Human. No. I don’t need your permission. I’ll tell ‘em myself!"
The Doctor: "If you stand in the marketplace announcing the end of the world, they’ll just think you’re a mad old soothsayer. Now come on. TARDIS. We are getting out of here."

The Doctor: "Some things are fixed, some things are in flux. Pompeii is fixed."
Donna: "But how do you know which is which?"
The Doctor: "Because that is how I see the universe. Every waking second, I can see what is, what was, what could be, what must not. It’s the burden of a Time Lord, Donna."

The Doctor: "It must be awful being a prophet, waking up every morning. ‘Is it raining?’ ‘Yes, it is, I said so.’ Takes all the fun out of life. But who designed this, Lucius? Hm? Who gave you these instructions?"

Spurrina: "No man is allowed to enter the Temple of Sibyl!"
The Doctor: "Well, that’s alright. Just us girls. D’you know, I met the Sibyl once. Yeah. Hell of a woman. Blimey, she could dance the tarantella. Nice teeth. Truth be told, I think she had a bit of a thing for me. I said it would never last, she said ‘I know’. Well, she would. You alright there?"
Donna: "Oh, never better"

Donna: "Listen sister, you might have eyes on the back of your hands but you’ll have eyes on the back of your head by the time I’m finished with you. Let me go!"
Lead Sister: "This prattling voice will cease forever."
The Doctor: "Oh that’ll be the day. "

The Doctor: "Name yourself! Planet of origin. Galactic co-ordinates. Species designation according to the universal ratification of the Shadow Proclamation."
High Priestess: "We… are… rising!"
The Doctor: "TELL ME YOUR NAME!"
High Priestess: "PYROVILE!"

Donna: "You can’t just leave them."
The Doctor: "Don’t you think I’ve done enough? History’s back in place and everyone dies."
Donna: "You’ve got to go back. Doctor I am telling you, take this thing back. It’s not fair."
The Doctor: "No it’s not."
Donna: "But your own planet. It burned."
The Doctor: "That’s just it. Don’t you see Donna? Don’t you understand if I could go back and save them I would but I can’t. I can never go back, I can’t. I just can’t, I can’t."

Donna: "How many people died?"
The Doctor: "Stop it."
Donna: "Doctor! How many people died?"
The Doctor: "Twenty thousand."
Donna: "Is that what you can see, Doctor, all twenty thousand? And you think that’s alright, do you?"

Notes

This episode takes place in the year 79AD.

On the 29 May 2009, The BBC announced that
Karen Gillan (Soothsayer) would be the 11th Doctor’s companion.

The Doctor mentions The Shadow Proclamation for the second episode in a row.